hile medicinal marijuana
has been legal in California since 1996,
a recent landmark ruling that gave the
green light (quite literally) to recreational
use of the drug has created a Green Rush
in the fertile west coast regions more
famous for their wine than weed. Today,
there are an estimated 3000 small-scale
pot growers in Sonoma County alone, and
rather than threatening the deep-rooted
viticulture industry, this shift has led to
innovations in vineyards, hotels and
restaurants that are reshaping the offering
in the valley. Here is a town-by-town guide.
HEALDSBURG
An epicurean ground zero nestled
between three prime wine-growing
regions – Russian River Valley, Dry Creek
Valley and Alexander Valley – Healdsburg
combines small-town charm with big-city
smarts. Healdsburg SHED, a steel-and-
glass warehouse designed to take food
back to its roots, houses a homewares
market, all-day dining and event space.
Owners Doug Lipton and Cindy Daniel still
source from dozens of other farms nearby.
“Our raison d’être is to support local
agriculture,” says Cindy. The couple is
passionate about sustainable agriculture,
seasonal food and reducing waste (SHED
is plastic free) and was the first of only
six businesses in Sonoma County to be
awarded the Slow Food snail, recognition
by the prestigious Italian organisation of a
commitment to good, clean and fair food.
This philosophy translates to an elegant,
hyper-seasonal menu served in a bustling
space that is at once modern and cosy.
Housemade pickles, and shrubs and
kombucha on tap are regulars, while
dishes such as radishes with turmeric shrub
butter, an epic cured fish board, and white
anchovies on toast with carrot-top pesto
change with the seasons.
At the other end of the spectrum, but
with a similar dedication to provenance,
is three-Michelin-starred SingleThread,
recently named ‘One to Watch’ by the
World’s 50 Best Restaurants. A night at this
restaurant with rooms from former Fat
Duck chef Kyle Connaughton and his wife,
Katina, who grow rare Japanese produce
for the 11-course, kaiseki-inspired menu,
comes at a price, but is worth the splurge.
The affinity for craftsmanship runs from the
open kitchen to the luxurious dining room,
which is completely handmade, from the
door handle at the entrance to the woven
screens coded with plant DNA. This
exquisite attention to detail continues to
the bedrooms, where you’ll find bespoke
Japanese paper light shades, binchotan
charcoal toothbrushes and in-room dining
options that include donabe hotpots for
guests staying more than one night.
Family-run Barndiva, another proponent
of the farm-to-fork movement, is the
perfect lunch spot, offering colourful
plates such as goat’s cheese and beetroot
salad with mustard flowers and young
green pea shoots in their smartly
converted barn and garden. Save space
for pie and artisan ice cream at Noble
Folk, where the hardest decision will be
deciding between a slice of strawberry
mud pie with Oreo crust or a scoop of Irish
chocolate stout ice cream.GLOBAL FLAVOURS.